The Thicket

I just watched The Thicket, and wow, it blew me away. Elliott Lester absolutely crushed it as director—the film feels so alive, full of tension and raw energy. The way he creates this gritty, yet beautifully atmospheric world really pulled me in. And Juliette Lewis? She’s phenomenal. Seriously, she owns every second of screen time, her performance is pure fire. Peter Dinklage is great, too, bringing this quiet strength to the whole story. It's a Western with a twist, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Highly recommend!

The Thicket delivers everything you could want in a gritty, stylized Western. Visually stunning and consistently engaging, it immerses you in a world that feels both raw and artful. Juliette Lewis is nearly unrecognizable in one of her most transformative and powerful performances to date.

Film is an interesting thing in the 2000s where sometimes you stumble upon something truly special that if it weren’t for word of mouth you may have never heard of it. While The Thicket got quite the big theatric / festival response I was beyond delighted when I was late to catch it & saw it available on tubi. My praise for this movie can’t be higher. From frame one an overwhelming intrigue kicks in and by the final frame that same intrigue remains until you watch again & probably again. While a familiar tale at points, the further we get into this road movie the more originality boils over. The cast is beyond top notch with Peter Dinkledge certifying his role as a badass bounty Hunter and Juliette Lewis transforming completly into a persona as Cut Throat Bill, the stardom doesn’t stop there. Andrew Schultz appears as a wise cracking yet villainous and believable brothel house runner & the role strays from his usual outfit yet fits incredibly. I’d love to say that we can stop at the cast being amazing but this film is an all around awe with Cinematography that’s accented by Calgary landscape yet looks more incredible with Guillermo Garza’s keen eye. Director Elliott Lester captained this ship in -35 degree conditions and the brutal shoot shows in this films portrayal. For horror fans I compare the shoot to screen experience of the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre where the brutal conditions translated to the portrayal of the world we are now living in for the next 1hr 48mins. I can’t scream enough from building tops, watch The Thicket when you can! It’s streaming on Tubi & available on VOD for rent. No excuses will be suffice to not see The Thicket. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars -LFHG

Really fun film - one of my favorites this year. Juliette Lewis is a badass.

Just finished watching The Thicket on Tubi- and wow, what a ride. This gritty, atmospheric western punches way above its weight. Director Elliott Lester crafts a lean, muscular narrative that feels both classic and fresh, blending vengeance, redemption, and razor-sharp character work into a tense, surprisingly emotional journey. Peter Dinklage delivers a standout performance-intense, grounded, and layered-as a bounty hunter with a code. The cinematography is moody and immersive, with Texas swamps and dustbowls captured like gothic paintings. The violence is raw, but never gratuitous, and the pacing keeps you gripped till the last bullet flies. Honestly, The Thicket is one of the best original films I’ve seen on a free streaming platform. It’s a masterclass in low-budget storytelling with heart and grit. Don’t sleep on this one.

Big western fan, always love to see a new take on a western. Cool characters and some fun action. Dinklage and Lewis were great.

The usually compelling Dinklage is wasted here in this superficial and pointlessly violent and gory western (he should really have known better as he shares a producer’s credit on this film!). The carnage in the climatic action scene is so confusing that the deaths of a few of the characters seems undetermined. But it didn’t matter much because by that time I’d already lost interest. Lewis’ over-the-top work gets a lot of praise from other critics on this site but, she really never comes alive as a character. Instead she overplays her role and becomes just another heartless mad dog killer plot device.

Have always been a big fan of westerns and this felt like a cool new take on the classic western. Definitely something here for everyone. Great performances too. Overall a big thumbs up from me!

@winterstone here, What an awesome western! I’m a huge movie fan, and I can always tell a good movie by how the director uses his eye to show the landscape! What a beautifully shot and put together film! It’s a must see and trust me Juliette Lewis And Peter Dinklage put on a great show! Winter.

The only good thing about this is Peter Dinklage script putting down theology. The rest was recycled garbage from every Western ever made.